Antarctic whale expedition planned

Australia and New Zealand plan a non-lethal whale research expedition to the Antarctic, a direct challenge to Japan's research program that kills up to 1,000 whales a year. The six-week expedition will set sail in a New Zealand ship early next year, with the aim of the project to prove that whales can be studied without killing them.

Japan's whale hunt is allowed under international rules as a scientific program but the meat not used for study is sold for consumption in Japan. Australia and New Zealand said in their joint statement they are seeking to reform science management within the International Whaling Commission, which holds its annual meeting in Madeira, Portugal shortly and end Japan's "so-called scientific whaling." Scientists from both countries, will be the largest international collaborative research project to focus on improving the conservation of whales.

"This expedition and the ongoing research program will demonstrate to the world that we do not need to kill whales to study and understand them," Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett said.

The statement said the expedition would improve understanding of the population structure, abundance, trends, distribution and ecological role of whales in the Southern Ocean. Its results will be used to develop international whale conservation management plans. In the latest Japanese hunt that ended in April, its fleet killed 679 minke whales and one fin whale over five months, below its stated goals of up to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales.